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A group of Long Island parents and school-board members has had enough of the heavy-handed politics coming out of Albany and filed a federal lawsuit this week against New York Attorney General Letitia James. The complaint accuses James of sending a May guidance letter to school boards that effectively threatens elected officials with removal if they discuss transgender student policies in public meetings — a move plaintiffs say is designed to silence parents and chill debate.
The letter at the center of the case warned that discussing individual students’ gender identities in public forums could run afoul of privacy rules and even cited the commissioner’s power to remove board members for violations, language critics call ominous and vague. That “you may be removed” line has sent a clear message to school leaders: toe the ideological line or lose your seat, regardless of community concerns about locker rooms, sports, and the safety of girls.
Plaintiffs named in the suit include Massapequa School Board President Kerry Wachter and other local board members and parents, and the case was brought by the Southeastern Legal Foundation on their behalf. These are not career politicians but everyday Americans trying to protect their children and safeguard honest public discussion — now being sued for speaking up.
When asked about the lawsuit and the accusation that the guidance is meant to chill speech, James’ office declined to comment, which only underscores the arrogance of a politician who issues instructions about who can speak and what can be said in town halls. Silence in the face of a lawsuit aimed at muzzling parents speaks louder than any press release ever could.
This episode is not an isolated incident; the James’ office has repeatedly been at the center of fights over speech, online moderation, and the limits of government power, prompting serious First Amendment concerns among free-speech advocates. New Yorkers who cherish open debate should be alarmed when an elected official uses the trappings of the law to police opinions and create one-way speech zones in public forums.
Conservatives and independents alike ought to see through the spin: this is about power, not protection. It’s the latest in a pattern where woke-appointed officials will weaponize vague rules and the threat of penalties to shut down parents who demand transparency and common-sense policies at their local schools.
If we let unelected bureaucrats and activist attorneys general decide which parents get to speak, we’re saying goodbye to local control and hello to centralized ideology. The plaintiffs in this case represent a broader movement of Americans fed up with being told they have no right to ask basic questions about privacy, safety, and fairness for children — and they deserve the full-throated support of anyone who values free speech and parental rights.
This lawsuit is a wake-up call: public officials must be reminded that power flows from the people, not the other way around. Letitia James can hide behind guidance memos and legalese, but hardworking families will not be bullied into silence — and neither should any patriotic American who believes in the Constitution and the right to speak plainly at their local school board meeting.
